G. V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center receives high score in latest CMS hospital ratings

CMS’s hospital ratings are based on five categories: mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, and timely and effective care. A higher star rating, out of 5, indicates better performance on these quality measures.

Within the last year, the G. V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center has implemented a number of improvements to better serve Veterans. These include:

• Reduced wait times across multiple specialties, including 47% in Primary Care, 42% in General Surgery, 67% in ENT, and 85% in Endocrinology, giving Veterans faster access to care.
• Launched the Park-A-Prescription initiative, saving approximately $215,000 per month, while additional pharmacy cost containment generated $4.41 million in FY25.
• Restructured nursing staffing, saving $2.6 million annually without reducing quality of care.
• Renovated the cardiac catheterization lab and introduced advanced technology, including Mississippi’s first leadless pacemaker and cRTP pacemaker placements.
• Achieved a five-star overall Community Living Center rating, ranking second in VISN 16 for survey performance.
• Introduced innovative programs such as Virtual Reality therapy and E-Gaming to support Veterans with PTSD, TBI, and chronic pain.
• Exceeded the FY25 homeless housing goal by 18%, housing 205 Veterans against a target of 172, while connecting 97.2% of Veterans in the Justice Outreach Program to healthcare — the highest rate in VISN 16.

"This four-star rating highlights the excellent care the G. V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center provides,” said Michael B. Renfrow, Medical Center Director. “Our job is to continue raising the bar for customer service and convenience throughout the department, so Jackson VA works better for the Veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors we proudly serve.”

As part of CMS’s 2025 ratings, 77% of VA hospitals that received an Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating received 4 or 5 stars, and no VA hospitals received a one-star rating. More than 90% of VA hospitals with ratings maintained or improved their 2024 star rating.

View the star ratings and methodology for the ratings.

Overall VA improvements during the second Trump Administration

• The backlog of Veterans waiting for VA benefits is down more than 37% since Jan. 20, 2025.
• VA has opened 16 new health care clinics, expanding access for Veterans around the country.
• VA is spending an additional $800 million on infrastructure improvements to ensure department facilities provide safe and effective patient care.
• Since Jan. 20, VA has offered nearly 1 million health care appointments outside of normal operating hours. These early-morning, evening, and weekend appointments are giving Veterans more timely and convenient options for care.
• VA is processing record numbers of disability claims, reaching an all-time fiscal-year high of 2.52 million ratings claims for FY25 as of Aug. 8.
• VA has made it easier and faster for VA-enrolled Veterans to access care from non-VA providers at the department’s expense.
• VA has implemented major reforms to make it easier for survivors to get benefits.
• VA is accelerating the deployment of its integrated electronic health record system.
• VA partnered with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to identify and recover $106 million in duplicate billing.
• VA has brought tens of thousands of VA employees back to the office, where we can work better as a team to serve Veterans.
• In fiscal year 2025 through June, VA has housed 37,534 homeless Veterans. 

Camille Weston, Public Affairs Officer

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